Smart Home Blog

The acoustics of your room probably have more to do with sound quality of your system than any other component, that's right - those expensive speakers can sound crap in a room with poor acoustics. Inversely mid-level equipment can be made to sing with a properly treated room.

Acoustic foams are generally found as pyramid or wedge shapes. They work not only to absorb sounds, by enhancing the quality of sound and speech in a room. They are able to help tame both mid and high frequencies at the same time to minimize sound echoes and reflections which would colour or muddy the sound.

By reducing the amplitude of the waves, our acoustic foam helps to dissipate the sound energy. This in turn helps the clarity of sound. Bass Traps help to trap the Bass energy to stop booming in the room.

Typically we would use acoustic panels in home cinemas or dedicated stereo listening areas.

Invited by an old colleague and friend who has been working over there for the past few years in construction. We met with some very friendly, very bright and successful people who I hope to be doing work for in the near future. We've worked in Hong Kong before so aren't new to international projects, we've also completed six homes worth of home cinema, lighting control and audio previously with the Project Manager in charge of construction - All that went very smoothly. So this could be really fun.

It's a beautiful place, you can tell it's just on the verge of something special happening in terms of development. I look forward to more visits and the chance to build some very special home environments over there.

Five very basic questions you should ask yourself before buying your Sonos Music system. Everyone is different, we all like different music, want to listen in different areas and at different volumes. Here are five simple questions to ask yourself before you buy your first Sonos system.

Sonos tips and tricks: Get the most out of your multi-room system.

A great article from Pocket-lint with details of some really great tweeks to your Sonos system, almost all of them work on Sonos in Thailand.

Sonos has one of the strongest multi-room offerings out there. Its speaker line-up is not only plentiful, with several combinations possible, but the platform that controls everything is one of the best out there, if not the best.

If you've opted for Sonos over its competitors, of which there are several, then you've come to the right place. This feature is all about making sure you get the most out of your Sonos system.

Some of these tips and tricks you might already know, but there are bound to be a few that you don't and anything that allows you to listen to your favourite music more easily is a bonus in our book.

Sonos installation tips and tricks

Add another speaker or SUB to your Sonos systemBought a new speaker or the Sonos SUB and want to add it to your existing system? This is easy. Tap the three lines in the top left corner of the app > Settings > Add a Player or SUB and follow the instructions.

Add a BOOST to your Sonos SystemIf your Wi-Fi network isn't the strongest and has a couple of weak spots, you may have bought yourself a BOOST to help get a signal in a particular room. To add a BOOST, head to the three lines in the top left corner > Settings > Add a BOOST.

Get the best out of your Sonos speakersSonos offers a feature called Trueplay that will tune your speakers according to their surroundings, even if that's in a cupboard. To make sure you get the best sound out of each speaker in your Sonos system, head to the three lines in the top left > Room Settings > Select Room > Trueplay. Make sure you tune all the speakers in your system.

Adjust the EQ to your personal preferenceAll about that bass, that bass, no treble? No problem, you can adjust the EQ settings for each Sonos speaker you have set up. To do this, head to the three lines in the top left > Settings > Room Settings.

From here, you'll need to select the room that has the speaker or speakers in that you want to adjust, then tap on EQ and slide the bars to suit your preferences.

Change a room nameChanged your office to a bedroom, or moved your Play:1 into the bathroom? That's fine as changing room names in Sonos is simple. Click on the three lines in the top left > Room Settings > Select Room > Room Name.

Create a stereo pairYou can combine two of the same Sonos speaker together in the same room, in order to create left and right speakers of a stereo pair. Whether that's two Play:1s, Play:3s or Play:5s, the stereo pair setting is accessed through Room Settings.

Click on the three lines in the top left > Room Settings > Select Room > Create Stereo Pair > Follow the instructions.

Make use of your existing Hi-Fi systemInvesting in Sonos doesn't mean your existing Hi-Fi system has to become redundant. The Sonos Connect has analogue, optical and coaxial digital audio outputs, as well as a line-in, allowing you to connect any device you want, from a turntable to a DAC.

There is also the Connect:Amp available in the Sonos range that features an RCA line-in and a subwoofer line-out, providing a streaming upgrade for your favourite stand-alone speakers.Make sure your Sonos system is always running the latest softwareSonos delivers regular software updates, some of which are small, others of which are more significant, like Spotify Connect compatibility. Running the latest software means you'll get the best experience from your Sonos speakers so it's a good idea to set your system up to automatically check for updates.

Click on the three lines in the top left > Settings > Advanced Settings > Toggle on Auto Check for Updates.

Override audio compression settingsSonos presets the best audio compression for player Line-In and Sonos DOCK but it can be overridden to be uncompressed or compressed. To do this, head to the three lines in the top left > Settings > Advanced Settings > Audio Compression > Select desired setting.

Reset ControllerIf you want to disassociate a smartphone or tablet from one Sonos setup and reconnect it to a separate Sonos system, you can use the reset controller option. Tap on the three lines in the top left of the app > Settings > Advanced Settings > Reset Controller > Reset.

Turn off your usage dataSonos collects information on how you use your Sonos system. It doesn't give it to third parties but if you'd still rather keep your usage data private, you can turn it off. Click on the three lines in the top left of the app > Settings > Advanced Settings > Usage Data > Toggle off.

Turn the LED light off If you have a Sonos speaker on your bedside table or in your bedroom and you've chosen to play music to send you to sleep, you might not want the LED light on.

To turn it off, click on the three lines in the top left of the app > Settings > Room Settings > Select the room you want your speaker light off > Toggle off White Indicator Light.

Double tap to skipThe play/pause button on your Sonos speaker doesn't just play and pause songs. Double tap it and you'll be able to skip to the next track, without opening the app.

If you have the new Sonos Play:5, a swipe left will play the previous track, while a swipe right will skip forward to the next one.

Mute a single speakerA long press of the play/pause button will mute the speaker you are pressing it on so you can take a phone call in your office, but still have the music playing in your living room, for example.

Disable the swipe functionality on the Play:5For those of you with the new Play:5 and kids or cats who like to touch it or climb on the controls, you can disable the swipe functionality.

To do this, hold down the pair button for 10 seconds when the speaker is fully booted to disable the swipe interface. You'll then press it once to leave it in that state.

Skip tracks on your smartwatch or lock screenAn update to the Sonos software earlier in 2016 means you can now skip tracks, as well as pause and play directly from your lock screen, and wrist if you have a smartwatch connected to your smartphone.

It is available on both Android Wear and Apple Watch smartwatches, using your phone's lock screen controls to present you with the functionality on your wrist.

Use 3D Touch to play last song or radio stationFor those with an iPhone 6S or newer, the Sonos app works with 3D Touch, Apple's version of a touch sensitive display that presents different features to you based on the force with which you press.

A long hard press on the Sonos app icon will allow you to pause or play the most recent track you were listening to without opening the app first. You'll also be able to launch Favourites or Search

The Sonos adverts are really very slick, this one featuring Paul Rudd and Rashida Jones and a clip from "I love You, Man" really strikes a chord with me.

Personally, I enjoy nothing more than listening to music on my sound system. That chill that runs down your spine when Adele hits those special notes, the way that the hair on the back of your neck stands up and you get goosebumps - You aren't going to get that on a cheap system, or listening on your laptop.

And you know what, you're missing out. Really, Nothing can relax you or provoke emotion the same as great music, and it's not about volume, it's about depth and nuance. So if you haven't already got a great sounding music system, get one and enjoy listening to your music on a whole new level.